Providing Access

Winter sports

If you’re going into the winter woods for fun in the snow, where are you going to leave your car?

Probably in a Sno-Park.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission maintains 125 of these specially cleared rural parking lots with access to about 250 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails and to about 2,500 miles of groomed snowmobile trails around the state. But your vehicle has to have a permit in order to use an area, or you’ll be ticketed.

The commission sells between 15,000 and 20,000 of the permits each year, and Washington’s will be honored in Idaho and Oregon winter parking areas, too, said Colleen Maguire, the commission’s winter recreation coordinator.

Cost for an annual permit is $20, she said. Or, you may buy one good for three consecutive days, at $10, or a one-day permit for $7. The fees provide the funds required for plowing out the parks, for grooming trails, maintaining restrooms and similar services. Snowmobile owners receive a permit as part of their annual snowmobile registration process.

You can buy a permit from one of more than 125 winter sports equipment outlets statewide.

People can call State Parks at (800) 233-0321 this season to get up-to-date information on grooming of cross-country and snowmobile trails.